


Come Home

by Cai_Artz



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, let them be happy im begging, mentions of the academy, mild finale spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23002306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cai_Artz/pseuds/Cai_Artz
Summary: “I don’t believe you,” she argues, “all this time trying to get my attention, have you ever even thought of the obvious?” The Master’s brow raises, he regards her quizzically for a moment, then he smirks.“And what’s that?” he says, half expecting her to say the same thing she always does, that all he had to do to win her attention was be good, be like her.“If you want my attention, just come home,”
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 226





	Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> a short one shot in light of the finale because they love each other and you can't take that away from me

She’d been trying to reach him for some time now. He didn’t die, she knew as much, he never truly did. That entire plan had been set up for her, he had left the cyberman there for her with the death particle still inside in the hopes that they would die together. It was his twisted way of getting her attention, she knew, but she could never help but fall for it anyway. But the dark, sick feelings she felt in her hearts stayed. She watched him beg for death, and then he watched as she ran from him again. She could still feel it when she made her way back to her TARDIS, the lingering connection pulsing in her head, his anguish, his desire. With a heavy sigh, she slumped against the door of the ship and took a deep breath before pushing her way inside.

She had made quick work of picking up her friends again. They had questions, they always did, but for once they kept quiet giving her time to herself, or so she thought. When she was sure the trio had walked off into the depths of the TARDIS she leaned her head against one of the crystal pillars and shut her eyes. Then, she waited. She could feel him, she knew he could feel her too. When he finally let her in her eyes snapped open with a soft gasp. 

_You know, most people would call._ The Master’s voice echoes inside her mind, there’s a soft chuckle. 

_Since when are we most people?_ She says with a soft chuckle. Then, _are you alright?_ The Master scoffs, pushing images into her mind in quick succession. She sees him running from the crumbling ruins of Gallifrey, the cybermen behind him are crushed by debris but he makes it out. The memory leaves her mind as quickly as it came, she’s left with only him once again.

_Not injured._ He says, _not that you care._

 _Of course, I care._ The Doctor bites back, shaking her head. _I still care about you._

 _You wouldn’t take my hand, you wouldn’t stand with me. You think you’re better than me. T_ he Master growls, _if that’s you caring about me then I’d truly hate to see what happens when you stop._

 _Don’t! You wouldn’t stand with me either! We can never stand beside each other like we used to, we’re too different._ Images of the timeless child flash in her mind, these aren’t her memories, he’s forcing them into her head.

_Of course we are. Look at you, so much better than me, even back then. I suppose a part of you knew._

_Does our history really mean anything to you?_ She asks, ignoring the onslaught of images flashing through her mind. It hurts too much to think about, an entire life she never knew. She feels him reel back, though only a little bit.

_This is our history._

_No_ , she says, reaching for the console she punches something into it before taking a step back. The Master’s holographic image appears before her, flickering to life as he stares at her his shoulders raised and his back straight. “This is our history,” she whispers, placing a hand on his face as the image solidifies until it seems like he’s in the room with her, he isn’t, but regardless she can feel him, can see his eyes sliding shut as she pushes memories into his mind. The Academy, the shared kisses in secret alleyways, the feeling of her hand in his as they lie side by side in red grass. The Master shakes his head, taking a step back.

“What do you want?” he says, but there’s no menace in his voice.

“I want you to come home, I want my husband back,” she whispers. Another flash of memories is pushed into his mind. Promises, a wedding, his laughter, the feeling of his lips on her neck, his skin on hers. He shoves the memories away.

“I’m not him. Not anymore,” the Master growls, taking a step forward. They’re face to face now, his image flickers as his anger grows, the Doctor says nothing. She had realized, as she walked away from a falling Gallifrey, that he hadn’t told her about her past to upset her or to anger her. He had told her because she needed to know what had happened to her and that he needed her to tell him she wasn’t better than him, that they were equals. It occurred to her, as she reached her hand out to him, that she wanted him to know she understood. The Master’s gaze hardens, “that part of me died a long time ago Doctor.”

“I don’t believe you,” she argues, “all this time trying to get my attention, have you ever even thought of the obvious?” The Master’s brow raises, he regards her quizzically for a moment, then he smirks.

“And what’s that?” he says, half expecting her to say the same thing she always does, that all he had to do to win her attention was be good, be like her. 

“If you want my attention, just come home,” she says instead. It’s unexpected, it makes his eyes widen, his stance slacken. It shocks him, she can see it just as well as she can feel it in his mind.

“Our home is gone-”

“You know that’s not what I mean.” And he does, he knows exactly what she means, though he won’t admit it. The Doctor hand finally settles on his cheek once again, her thumb brushing against stubble, “come home to me Master. Just be with me again. Be my family again.” With his eyes shut as he leans into her touch the Master opens his mouth to answer, but there’s a gasp somewhere behind her and the spell is broken. The Master flinches back, his gaze fixed to the figure at the top of the stairs. The Doctor turns, following his line of sight to Yaz who stands shell shocked with Ryan and Graham behind her. 

“Doctor?” she says, and the Master takes that as his cue to leave. He rips himself out of her head with such force that she almost screams, clutching the sides of her head in pain. Ryan rushes down the stairs to steady her, the Doctor whimpers as the Master’s image flickers out of existence. 

“NO!” she yells, pulling away from Ryan and rushing to the console. She can’t establish the connection again, he’s gone. Tears slide down her cheek, and Yaz and Ryan are pulling her away, demanding answers as she flails in an attempt to get him back. But it’s over. She can’t answer them, she doesn’t know how to even begin to explain what they saw, what the Master was to her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, his presence lingers. She promises to try and find him again.


End file.
